The hidden tricks of digital services for the purchase of goods and services by the user are named

Many services use various interface tricks to encourage the user to purchase a product or service. On May 7, experts from the Roskachestvo Center for Digital Expertise told Izvestia how to recognize such techniques and not lose money.

We are talking about the so—called dark patterns, interface elements that are designed not for user convenience, but to increase conversion. In fact, these are well-thought-out interaction scenarios in which it is easier for the user to agree to an action beneficial to the company than to refuse it.

"Among the most common techniques, experts name visually unequal buttons, when consent is highlighted in color and size, and refusal becomes less noticeable. This approach can push the user to an undesirable action for him, even if there is a formal choice," the experts explained.

Another common mechanism is complicated subscription cancellation. Connecting the service usually takes a few seconds, whereas failure requires going through many steps, switching between screens, or contacting support. As a result, users often continue to pay for the service out of inertia.

It is also common to automatically add additional services to the shopping cart, such as insurance or extended warranty. The user may not notice the ticks that have already been ticked and discover additional costs only at the final stage of the purchase.

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The number of such addresses may increase threefold.

Experts pay special attention to artificially creating urgency: messages about "last goods" or "limited number of places" create a sense of scarcity and speed up decision-making, even if the real situation may differ. Other techniques include emotional language when unsubscribing, game mechanics with opaque winning chances, and notifications styled like bank messages. Such elements can create a false sense of importance or urgency for the user.

Roskachestvo noted that one of the most common scenarios is the inability to cancel a subscription in the same way it was issued. For example, connection is available in the app, but disconnection is only available through the website. According to experts, such practices complicate cost control and can lead to unwanted write-offs.

Experts recommend that users carefully read the terms of subscriptions, check autopayment settings, and take their time making decisions in interfaces that use elements of pressure or urgency.

Anastasia Kudryavtseva, Adviser to the Chairman of the Board of JSC National Savings Bank, told Izvestia on March 27 that the decline in consumer confidence is due to the accumulated effect of uncertainty and pressure on real incomes, which is gradually changing the behavior of the population and restraining demand for large purchases. At the same time, the basic consumption remains, but it is the optional, "additional" expenses that begin to decrease in the first place. For the economy, this means uneven pressure on industries.